August 10 – World Lion Day

World Lion Day is celebrated annually on August 10.

The first lions began to be kept in captivity in 850 BC in ancient Assyria (Assyria is an ancient state in northern Mesopotamia in the 2nd - 1st millennium BC). In the 17th century, representatives of this species appeared in European zoos. In the 19th century, along with the colonial trade, the trade in wild animals began to flourish. At that time, lions were a common live commodity in the markets and were sold at a relatively low price. Why? The fact is that the African continent supplied an unlimited number of animals for sale. Unfortunately, many of them died during transportation. Lion hunters killed animals to feel like real heroes, showing off against the background of a dead animal. Lions were exterminated based on the principle "these creatures are bad and these are good."

The main reasons for the reduction in their number at the moment are climate change, diseases and mindless human activity.

Today, ecologists are trying to draw the attention of the world public to the problem of preserving the king of beasts, whose numbers have begun to decrease significantly in the wild. And it is the activities of nature conservation areas, including zoos, that contribute to the preservation of one of the largest carnivores on the planet.

Mykolaiv Zoo is home to a whole pride of lions. The true leader of his pride is male Lank. His girlfriend Lola and their children Kim and Nala, born in 2022, live in his pride.

We invite everyone for a summer walk to our zoo to congratulate the royal family on World Lion Day! And you can see them in the "Island of Animals" exhibit complex.